The ongoing shortage of TSA officers continues to be a significant issue at major US airports, causing slower security lines and elevated call-out rates. Despite some signs of stabilization on Monday, the challenges from ongoing staffing shortages persist, intensified by the 45-day partial government shutdown that has affected the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
During the height of the crisis on Sunday, the TSA experienced a nationwide call-out rate of 10.6%, translating to over 3,000 absent officers. This is a decrease from the 12.4% peak call-out rate recorded on March 27 but still remains substantially higher than typical levels, which generally hover around 2%. The elevated absenteeism has placed considerable strain on airport screening operations, disrupting the flow and efficiency travelers usually expect.
Specific airports have been hit harder than others. For instance, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport reported a staggering 38.5% call-out rate. Close behind, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports recorded call-out rates of 36.4% and 34.1%, respectively. Other major airports like those in New Orleans and Atlanta were also significantly affected, each reporting over a 33% absence rate. Even prominent Northeast hubs such as JFK, LaGuardia, and Philadelphia reported near or above 20% call-out rates.
In response to these critical shortages, additional support has been sought from other branches of law enforcement. Over the weekend, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were deployed to assist with TSA duties at several affected airports including BWI. Tom Homan, White House border czar, assured during an interview on CBS News “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that these officers would remain in place until the affected airports recover fully. By Monday, it was reported that all checkpoints at BWI were operational, indicating a move towards normalcy.
The financial pressures on TSA workers due to the shutdown have been severe. Despite recent executive actions by President Trump to ensure TSA workers are paid during the shutdown, many workers were already grappling with the repercussions of delayed wages. Pasqual Contreras, a TSA officer and union official, highlighted his personal hardships in an interview with CBS News, expressing relief over receiving his back pay which helped him manage basic expenses such as gas for commuting to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. However, he emphasized that these funds were not sufficient to cover all his financial obligations as the payment covered only up to March, and they were already into April.
Details from DHS indicated that pay for 160 hours covering the period from February 22 to March 21 had been disbursed, although there remained outstanding pay for the week of February 14-21. The delayed pay also raised questions on whether overtime hours worked during the shutdown had been compensated. Previous experiences from last fall’s government shutdown showed that resolving missed pay issues could extend over several pay periods.
Officials explained that some TSA workers began receiving their payments as early as Monday, with the majority expected to be paid by the end of Tuesday. The variation in payment receipt dates among workers is attributed to differing banking practices—some financial institutions release funds upon notification of an incoming deposit, while others wait until the scheduled settlement date.
Despite the payment arrangements and the deployment of additional staff, the situation has highlighted broader issues within the DHS due to the partial shutdown. The disruption caused around 50,000 TSA officers to work without pay, precipitating widespread airport delays, high absenteeism, and significant staffing shortages. This challenging environment contributed to more than 510 TSA officers resigning from their positions.
It’s important to note that while TSA workers are now covered under President Trump’s executive order for payment during the shutdown, other DHS employees—including those from the Coast Guard, FEMA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—continue to work without pay. Funding for ICE agents, on the other hand, was secured through last year’s legislative act known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
As the DHS scrambles to manage these disruptions and ensure all workers are compensated, the future remains uncertain. Questions linger about the long-term sustainability of current funding measures and the overall impact of recurrent government shutdowns on critical security operations at US airports. The reliability of continued federal support and effective management of staffing and financial crises at DHS remains of paramount concern, prompting ongoing scrutiny by the media, public, and political leaders alike in efforts to avoid similar situations in the future.
